St. Gabriel, Louisiana 30 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this portrait, "St. Gabriel, Louisiana", using the 19th-century process of tintype photography. This involved coating a thin sheet of blackened metal with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and then developing the image directly on the plate. The tintype was a working-class medium. Unlike earlier photographic processes that required professional studios, it was relatively inexpensive and could be done by itinerant photographers at fairs or on the street. The immediacy and affordability of tintypes democratized portraiture, offering people from all walks of life the opportunity to capture their likeness. Luster's choice to employ this historical process is significant. It imbues the image with a sense of history, connecting the sitter to a longer lineage of marginalized communities. The material qualities of the tintype—its dark tonality, slight imperfections, and reflective surface—all contribute to the photograph's melancholic and dignified presence. By embracing a seemingly obsolete technology, Luster invites us to consider the social and economic forces that shape photographic practice.